SOWK 2030 Chemical Dependency Theories and Assessment (3 credits)

Examines various theoretical approaches to and models for understanding the impact of chemical dependency on the individual, family, and community. Attention paid to the twelve core functions along with the development of knowledge and skills related to assessment.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 2110 Intercultural Communication (3 credits)

Designed to enable students to develop awareness, knowledge and skills for sensitive and effective intercultural communication on the international scene as well as with core-cultures in America. The course is particularly useful for students who are preparing to work with cultures other than their own, including: the human services field, business, marketing, languages, pre-professional programs and others. Liberal Education Goal Areas 7 & 8
Common Course Outline

SOWK 2120 Introduction to Social Welfare (3 credits)

Introduces students to American social welfare institutions, the social problems with which these institutions deal, and the profession of social work. Considerable attention is paid to the historical and philosophical bases of various types of social welfare services. Other topics emphasized include the intervention methods used by social workers and the special needs of oppressed groups in the society. The final section of the course deals with the career paths in social work.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 2130 Interpersonal Relations (2 credits)

Designed for sophomore students, especially those who intend to become social work majors, the course is intended to assess and develop basic interpersonal skills necessary to use self effectively as a practitioner. Teaches students to understand, assess, apply, and evaluate the basic skills of a helping relationship. Social Work majors must take this course before SOWK 3552.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 2140 Field Experience in Social Work (3 credits)

Provides students with their first practical experience in the field of social work and introduces them to basic theoretical models used in social work practice, including generalist approach, ecosystems, cultural competence, and human diversity. Prerequisite: Admission to the program.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 2160 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I (3 credits)

Designed to enable students to explain and assess individual, family, and group system behavior as generalist social work practitioners, utilizing the cultural competence continuum and a strengths perspective within an ecosystems approach across the following dimensions: biological, spiritual, psychological, cognitive, socioeconomic, cultural, aesthetic, and gender. Examines traditional and alternate theories of development across the life span of individual, family, and group systems. Attention is given to the influence of paradigms on shaping human behavior. This is the first course in a two-course combination in HBSE, providing the foundation for HBSE II. Prerequisites: BIOL 1110, PSY 1100, and admission to the Social Work program.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 2310 The American Indian: Social Welfare Perspective (3 credits)

Course surveys the various socio-economic and political problems faced by the American Indian, as well as the cultural conflicts and legal aspects of efforts to deal with those problems in a social welfare and social policy context.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 3030 Family Violence (3 credits)

A study of current theory and research related to the problem of family violence and responses to this problem including: premarital violence, spousal violence, and violence in parent-child relationships including sexual abuse and violence against the vulnerable adult. This course should be of particular value to those preparing for a career in human services. Also SOC 3030.
Common Course Outline

Designed to enable the student to understand, organize, and apply knowledge of parent-child relations in contemporary family forms including emphasis on a) a systems and cultural perspective, b) changing family configurations, c) dynamics of parent-child relations, d) special parent-child problems such as the abused child, etc., and e) work with professionals and other concerned individuals. (This is a service course for education majors.)
Common Course Outline

SOWK 3160 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II (3 credits)

Designed to enable students to explain and assess group, organization, and community behavior/life span from an eco-systems perspective using a generalist social work practice approach. Students integrate the cultural competence continuum and the strengths perspective across the diversity dimensions of large human systems: group, organization, community, and society. Students also critically consider and examine models of large system development - group, organization, and community - as well as the relationships and interconnections between and among micro and macro systems. Prerequisites: POL 1200 and SOWK 2160.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 3201 Family: Dynamics and Intervention (3 credits)

Introduction to knowledge, skills, and values related to working with families as small groups. Students learn and apply tools integral to assessment and intervention strategies of generalist social work practice with families, including the strengths perspective, human diversity framework, family systems, cultural competence, and the ecosystems approach. Students critically examine family systems, elements of family well being, level of need and intervention models, ethics, and practice implications particularly related to contemporary social welfare issues. Prerequisite: SOWK 2160 for majors, PSY 1100 for nonmajors.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 3260 Social Welfare Policy (3 credits)

Students develop an understanding of the history and role of public policy as related to social work practice, societal values, and issues central to the development of public policy in the United States. Students critically examine contemporary and controversial social welfare issues, assess U.S. policy development and evaluation practices, understand the global interconnectedness of U.S. policy, and develop social justice advocacy skills for vulnerable populations. Prerequisite: Prerequisite: Admission to the Social Work program, and POL 1200.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 3310 American Indians and Chemical Dependency (3 credits)

Provides an American Indian perspective and information on work being done with American Indians and chemical dependency. Addresses a broad range of issues, beginning with a fresh look at the impact of alcohol and drugs on American Indian people. Uses historical experience along with a comparison of Western scientific thought to its counterpart in American Indian cultures: the wisdom of the traditional elders. Also provides other relevant cultural information, such as traditional family roles and their relevance in the treatment setting, and an overview of Native American spirituality and its application to the recovery process. Also offers a hands-on clinical application for working with chemically dependent American Indian people from assessment considerations to treatment planning, and looks at the elements of a culturally specific treatment program for American Indians.
Common Course Outline

Addresses the continuum of care in chemical dependency: prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery. Attention given to the twelve core functions in relationship to the treatment planning process, case management, and intervention strategies. Covers ethical and legal considerations, such as involuntary commitment, patient rights, and professional licensures, as well as issues related to practice sensitivity and responsiveness to culture, gender, and age.
Prerequisite: PSY 1100 and SOWK 2030, or consent of instructor.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 3551 Generalist Practice I (3 credits)

Introduces and applies models for establishing and engaging in the professional helping relationship with individuals. Students learn, practice, and critically examine knowledge, skills, and values related to generalist social work practice with individuals: assessment, engagement, crisis intervention, counseling, evaluation, and ethical practice. Emphasis is on cultural competence in social work practice. Prerequisite: Admission to the program.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 3552 Generalist Practice 2 (3 credits)

Introduces and applies models for establishing and engaging in the professional helping relationship with support and treatment groups. Students learn, practice, and critically examine knowledge, skills, and values related to group processes: planning, assessment, facilitation, leadership, evaluation, role development, and ethical practice. Emphasis is on cultural competence in social work practice with groups. Prerequisite: SOWK 2130 and SOWK 3551.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 3553 Generalist Practice 3 (3 credits)

Introduces and applies models for establishing and engaging in the professional helping relationship with task groups, organizations, and communities focusing on systems change: assessment and engagement, intervention, advocacy, leadership, community organizing and strategic planning to create change. Students learn and practice cause advocacy and grantwriting skills. Emphasis is on cultural competence and the application of ethical group practice in task groups, community organizing, and cause advocacy.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 3760 Mental Health Social Work (2 credits)

Designed to enable the student to develop a knowledge base for beginning social work practice in the field of mental health. Students are introduced to theories of mental health and concepts of: mental health-illness, determination of needs, service systems, scope and variety of interventive methods, role of interdisciplinary team, evaluation, supervision, and impact of discrimination. Prerequisite: SOWK 2120 or consent of instructor. Might not be offered every year.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 3780 Family And Child Welfare (3 credits)

Overview of historical and contemporary child welfare practice primarily in the public sector, including supportive, supplemental, and substitute services. Emphasis is on issues such as family-centered practice, family preservation, kinship care, permanency planning, and cultural competence related to the assessment of and intervention with vulnerable families and children. Prerequisite: SOWK 2120 or consent of instructor. Might not be offered every year.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 3790 Social Work In The School System (2 credits)

Designed to enable the student to understand and apply social work practice in the public school setting including a systems view of public education, the impact of diversity/oppression, and various services to pupils, families, school personnel and community. Prerequisite: SOWK 2120 or consent of instructor.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 3830 Gerontology: Social Work Perspectives (2 credits)

Enables students to understand adult development and aging and to apply this knowledge to social work practice. Theories of aging are examined and applied to practice assessment and intervention strategies. Focuses on areas of particular relevance to practice with older persons in terms of expected life transitions and accompanying challenges (retirement, family relationships, etc.) and life crises and problems (loss and dependency, addictions, abuse and neglect, Alzheimer's). Impact of ageism, diversity, and physical, psychological, and social issues and changes in the aging process. Accompanying health, social, and family needs; the relationship of public policy to meeting these needs; and the development and delivery of services. Prerequisite: For Social Work majors: SOWK 2120 or consent of instructor. Might not be offered every year.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 4310 Grant Writing (2 credits)

An application course designed to teach the mechanics of successful grant writing. It addresses the full continuum of the grant writing process from defining the grant idea, identifying grant sources, writing and submitting the grant application, and managing the grant award. Addresses similarities and differences between public and private funding. Emphasizes skill development in the areas of writing and submitting a grant application, public speaking skills, and ethical issues. (Might not be offered every year)
Common Course Outline

SOWK 4450 Social Work Research Seminar (3 credits)

This course is a capstone research seminar for social work majors. Students are introduced to the basic concepts and procedures of social work research and learn the quantitative and qualitative research approaches that are common to the social work profession and the social sciences. Students will critically examine, interpret, and utilize research findings in relation to everyday social work practice through the application of a research project. Prerequisite: CRJS 3201 or PSY 3402 or SOC 3001 or STAT 3660.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 4880 Internship Orientation (1 credits)

Prepares social work students for the internship experience. Provides students with the information needed for appropriate internship placement. This course should be taken during the semester immediately preceding the registration in SOWK 4970.
Common Course Outline

SOWK 4970 Internship (12 credits)

When taken as Internship in Social Work the following description applies: A one semester block (520 clock hours) placement in a public or private social service organization, this internship is a senior capstone course focused on integrating practice experience with theory. Students are expected to demonstrate their social work knowledge, values, and skills through hands-on experience. Students will also participate in a seminar to discuss their internship experiences at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice. Prerequisites: Completion of all courses in the major with a 2.50 GPA in the major. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only.
When taken as Internship in Chemical Dependency the following description applies. This two-semester, 880-hour internship prepares students to complete the chemical dependency certificate in preparation for applying for licensure in Minnesota. Students are placed in chemical dependency agencies and are evaluated in terms of their knowledge and skills in the 12 core functions. Requires completion of all courses in the certificate with a 2.50 GPA in the certificate.
Common Course Outline

Bemidji State University reserves the right to change without notice any of the materials (information, requirements, regulations) published in this catalog. This catalog is not regarded as a contract.